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Development of the Neismith Sexual/Romantic Addiction Questionnaire
Abstract
In the mid-19th Century the terms Satyriasis and Nymphomania were commonly used to denote persons who were alleged to suffer from "morbid and uncontrollable sexual desire" (Oxford New English Dictionary, 1961, p. 127, p. 227). In recent years these terms have been commonly replaced by the diagnostic labels of sexual or romantic addictions or dependencies. Currently, there is some disagreement as to the legitimacy of the application of the concepts of addiction to patterns of sexual or romantic behavior. The research employed accepted diagnostic criteria for alcohol/drug addictions as analogues in the development of a sexual/romantic addiction questionnaire. Thirty-six diagnostic constructs descriptive of addiction were identified via the use of alcohol/drug addiction models and diagnostic criteria commonly cited in the clinical literature on sexual and romantic addictions. Three hundred and fifty-three test items with sexual and/or romantic content were generated via addiction construct definitions and descriptive experiences documented in the clinical and popular literature on sexual and romantic addictions. Test items were administered to 320 subjects recruited from the community and from a variety of undergraduate and graduate psychology courses. Analysis of item reliability within construct-based subscales demonstrated adequate internal consistency. Subscale factor analysis yielded a three factor structure consistent with conventional diagnostic criteria for addiction. The resultant measure will be used in future research related to the valid application of the concept of addiction to sexual and/or romantic behaviors and the prediction of clinical groups.
Subject Area
Psychotherapy|Personality|Psychological tests
Recommended Citation
Smith, Alan Jay, "Development of the Neismith Sexual/Romantic Addiction Questionnaire" (1990). ETD collection for University of Nebraska-Lincoln. AAI9108244.
https://digitalcommons.unl.edu/dissertations/AAI9108244